Three exercise apps to get you moving

Like any piece of exercise equipment, an app is only as effective as the person using it.

From scheduling and tracking to sending zombies after you, the hundreds of apps in the iTunes store are all designed to get you moving. You can find something for almost every sport, with many built for specific training and purposes. Here’s a look at three apps that take very different approaches to helping people get out and get fit.

Gamification is a very hot trend, which involves adding elements of games into real world activities, and this app is a perfect example. Created by a British developer, this is essentially an audio game that you listen to while you run. It tells the story of a zombie invasion that you are running away from. When the zombies give chase you need to pick up speed, and there are supplies that serve as rewards along the way. The production values and execution are nothing short of brilliant, and the iPhone’s GPS is used to track your run. The app also mixes in music from your playlist. Really, the only knock on Zombies, Run! is the $7.99 price tag, which is a little on the high side.

Adidas recently made news with the elite version of this technology, which is being used by Major League Soccer as a training tool. That version tracks heart rate and movement force, and will provide some of the most intensive on-field athletic data ever recorded. But for the average human, this free app is a good start. After signing up, you have access to training programs, scheduling, coaching feedback and a workout history. There are some nice bells and whistles, including use of GPS to track distance and calorie-burn measuring. Another neat touch is that you select the voice of a coach, which can be a generic male or female, or one of two celebrity athlete voice options provided by NBA point guard Derrick Rose and NFL running back Reggie Bush. The basic miCoach app is for distance-based activities like running or cycling, but there are specialized versions for other sports including football, basketball and tennis.

GymPact literally puts money where your workout is. Once you sign up — which includes providing your credit card information — you have to pledge a certain amount of money as a guarantee that you will work out. The smallest amount is five dollars per workout. You set how many times you plan to go to the gym in a week, and when you arrive, you have to make sure you check in with the app. You can’t cheat because the app is using GPS to track your check-ins and it also makes sure you stay at the gym for at least 30 minutes. What’s up for grabs is the combined loot of the people who fail to make up their weekly commitments. At the end of the week, that money is split amongst the non-shirkers. Over time, it can add up, and eventually be cashed out to a PayPal account, although reportedly many people just pour it back into the app. The app in itself is pretty simple, and not as fully featured as several others, but in terms of motivation, it is a brilliant idea, although I would have preferred paying with PayPal as opposed to a credit card. Not for the faint of gym.